I think it's fair to discount your rate a little, but don't over do it. You can't charge customers for feasability research. You have to be the guy that brings

I think it's fair to discount your rate a little, but don't over do it. You can't charge customers for feasability research. You have to be the guy that brings the solution. A bit of R&D is okay on the clock, but you have to know you can deliver the goods before taking the contract. It helps a lot if you have friends in the industry that can answer your questions if you're stuck. You'd be surprised what you can achieve with just the internet and paid time. The first one can be scary, and frankly it will depend on the customer. If you have a great first customer, it may propel you for a long career as freelancer. If your first customer sucks, you might be tempted to move on. For that I can only say, good luck.